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Assessment centre interviews

You’ve made it to interview for that perfect engineering or IT job– well done! The trouble is it’s a group interview at an assessment centre. How on earth do you manage to make yourself stand out in a group interview? There are a few simple ways to make sure you aren’t panicked beforehand and stay calm throughout, so here you go!

Treat the interview like an interview! An assessment centre, despite being in a group setting, is still an interview in which you are being assessed personally. So ensure that you dress as you normally would for an interview, arrive on time and take notes when pertinent. Though it might sound simple, it indicates that you are taking this assessment as seriously as you would a one to one interview.

Before attending the interview, be sure that you are aware of the job description. Not only will you be asked about the job and why you want it, you will no doubt be being directly judged on whether or not you are the right fit for the role against those in the group. As such, make sure that the qualities they are looking for are highlighted in you’re actions – if being a team player is seen as vital, make sure you’re supporting and helping others, for example.

Try not to be overbearing or over zealous with anything, however, be natural with how you approach things, without just sitting back and letting everything happen around you. It could be that you have to make a short presentation to the group, for which you will need to present the information and yourself, so make sure your posture is confident and clothing is neat. A presentation always comes across better when given whilst standing, as it is far more engaging and you are less likely to slouch. Even if you don’t have to make a presentation, it helps to look and speak with confidence.

Finally, following the interview, it never hurts to send an email thanking the hiring personnel for their time and consideration of you. This has the added bonus of making you stand out in their minds. In a similar way, write up any notes you have made, so as to be clear in your mind about the company ethos and how you feel you have done. This is useful so that should the second interview be forthcoming you can answer questions about your previous experience.